Bathing cap



E. S. ABRAM March 10, 1936.

BATHI NG CAP Filed Oct. 25, 1934 [urea/bra i MW 5 his Jilaruqy-J v 3? v Patented Mar. 10, 1936 PATENT OFFICE BATHING CAP Ernest Samuel Abram, Heaton Chapel, Stockport, England, assignor of one-half to Harry Eva,

Stockport, England Application October 25, 1934, Serial No. 749,887 In Great Britain July 3, 1934 1 Claim. (01. 2-68) wearers hair dry, and for such purpose the cap requires to be close fitting at all portions of the circumference of the cap where it fits over the forehead and over the ears and around theback of the head. When the cap is made of indiarubber, the cap willadapt itself to the shape of the head and lie fairly close, but will not always make the cap water-tight.

This invention has for its object to provide means fitted to, or integral with a bathing cap, whereby, when the cap is in use, water cannot enter the cap.

According to the invention, the cap, made either of india-rubber or of other waterproof material, is provided with an endless inflatable rubber tube of relatively large diameter and normally flat section, which tube extends all round the cap near to its lower edge and follows the contour of such edge, the tube being either held to the cap and in position by rubber solution, or being integral with the material of the cap. At a point at one side of the cap, said tube is furnished with a short length of small-bore rubber tubing, whereby the tube may be inflated with air from the wearers mouth when the cap is on the wearers head, and be thereby caused to adapt itself to the, shape of the wearers head and firmly hold the cap in position, as well as seal all entrances to the interior of the cap. To retain the air after inflation of the tube, the tubing is provided with a removable tapered peg or plug fitting its free end.

After inflation of the tube, the inflato'r tubing may be tucked into a suitable pocket outside the cap, or pushed up between the cap and the side of the wearers head. n deflating the tube by removing the peg or plug, the cap can readily be removed from the head.

The invention will be further described with the aid of the accompanying drawing, wherein:--

Fig. 1. is a side exterior elevation, and

Fig. 2 a vertical section of a bathing cap with oneexample of the invention applied thereto.

Fig. '3 is a cross-section of a part of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section showing another ex-- ample of the invention. 1

In Figs; 1,, 2 and 3, a is the bathing cap usually made of sections of thin sheet rubber, joined or" seamed to produce a single shell or body part. b is the usual chin strap. To the interior of the cap and near to but away from its lower edge is applied the continuous or endless flat and relatively large diameter thin rubber tube 0, the tube being fixed by rubber solution or. other suitable fixing medium, the connection in all cases being such that no space is left between the tube and the cap. 5

The tube is longitudinally formed to the contour of the lower edge of the cap prior to fixing, so that it will lie quite flat against the cap and present no puckers or protuberances.

Passing through the wall of the cap a. and into the tube c is one end (shown dotted in Fig. 1) of a length of small-bore inflator rubber tubing d, the connection being efiected and sealed by a small rubber washer. At its free end, the inflator tubing is furnished with a small tapered l5 peg or plug e, which on insertion closes the tubing against the escape of any air from itself and the tube 0.

On first applying the cap to the head, the tube 0 is flat (deflated) as shown in Fig. 2, but on inflation it swells out, and, tending to become round, presses firmly against the side of the wearers head, and, leaving no space between itself and the wearers head, prevents the ingress of water, see Fig. 3.

On one side of thecap may be an open-ended tubular holder I through which the tubing may be threaded and caused to lie in when not in use. Near its free end the tubing may have one part of a press-in fastener 9 adapted to engage the counter-part g fixed to theside of the cap, see Fig. 1.

Insteadof being separately formed and cemented to the cap, the tube 0 may, when the cap is, also made of india-rubber, be integral with the cap, see Fig. 4. I

It will be noted that in each example of the invention (Figs. 3 and 4) the air tube is away from the lower edge of the cap, and when de-- fiated presents little or no protuberance liable 40 to interfere with the easy placing of the cap on the head, or with its easy removal, without disturbing the wearers hair. Further, that there is no valve mechanism in the air tube 0, or even where the tubing d enters the tube 0, all parts which lie next the head being of a soft yielding nature. Again; by using only a small peg or plug to close the tubing d, the fittings are comparatively cheap to make and apply.

What I claim is:-

A bathing cap having on its interior surface and near to but away from its lower edge an endless inflatable rubber tube of relatively large diameter and of normally fiat section, such tube extending all round the cap and following the contour of the lower edge of the cap, and said which the free end of the inflator tubing may pass, and the complementary parts 01 a. pressfastener fixed respectively to the inflator tubing and cap, whereby the free end of the tubing is firmly held to the cap when not in use, as set 5 forth.

ERNEST SAMUEL ABRAM. 

